By Risha Samanta

There are certain events in life that bring us immense joy and pride. More so, if the event is an unforeseen and unexpected one and turns out to be an enriching experience. They linger in our memory and keep us mesmerized for a long time. What can be more joyous for young girls than to attend their own convocation? If I would have been given a certificate of appreciation at the age of 13, my joy would have known no boundaries. And so was the case with the girls. It was a moment of pride for the alumni of the Tech Center at Feminist Approach to Technology (FAT) when they came to receive their certificates on the completion of their computer course. On March 23, we at FAT decided to combine the celebration of Women’s Day (yes, we celebrated it on 23^rd. After all, it’s not just about March 8!) with holding the convocation along with meeting the girls’ parents.

We were very excited as well as anxious  as it was the first time that we were organizing an event of this magnitude for the girls and their families. There was much excitement and thrill that surrounded the whole process of preparing for the event, starting from getting the certificates printed, calling the girls and their parents to finalizing the menu and the venue. Although we were juggling between the regular classes, admission process for the new batch of girls at the Tech Center and consrantly redoing the logistics for the event, we thoroughly enjoyed the whole process of executing the event as planned. Once the certificates were printed, we were so overjoyed to see them; we couldn’t wait for the girls to receive it!

Finally the day arrived. The girls started coming early, even before the event was scheduled to start. Their attires and their smiling faces reflected their enthusiasm and hopes for the day. Most of the girls were accompanied by their mothers and siblings. Mothers with jobs had taken an off from their work that day so that they could come and share the moment of pride with their daughtes. As more mothers and daughters started coming in, we commenced the activities that were planned for the day.

Intitially, the girls with their siblings sat in one room, whereas the mothers sat together in another. I briefly interacted with the mothers and then let them get intoduced to each other. They all had one common point—FAT, because that is where their daughters had been coming to for the past one year. I could hear them bonding over talking about the progress of their daughters. They spoke about the inherent fears that girls have overcome eventually by being a part of FAT. Fear and society was the common topic of discussion among the mothers and I decided to intervene and carry the discussion further.

We have always strived to build a strong relationship with the community, especially the mothers, as our experience has shown that this kind of rapport building always helps. Even during this discussion, my main focus was to build a trustworthy relationship with all the mothers so that they support us and their daughters in all our endeavours. My team members Deepa and Faiza joined me in this discussion. We talked about the fears that we are socialized with. How the fear is born and groomed as we grow as girls in a patriarchal society. How important trust and self-confidence is in the upbringing of a girl and how crucial it to let her be and give her the space to grow.

We gave examples of our own lives describing how each one of us has been living away from our homes for a while now. And we have learned how to live an independent and sustainable life on our own. We assured the parents that it was natural for them to worry but trusting the daughters was equally essential. They have to believe that their daughters are informed and can take care of themselves. And only then will they actually do it. One cannot change society’s mindset overnight but one can certainly initiate the process inside one’s homes. This discussion was extremely useful for what we had planned next, which was entirely anchored by the girls.

What can be more powerful than young boys and girls talking about gender discrimination and women’s subjugation in the hands of patriarchy? What came next was a hard hitting theatrical performance. Every action, every word spoken in the play was so empowering and enlightening! The mothers were constantly nodding their heads throughout the 10-minute long play. They were spellbound and it was especially evident from the never-ending applause that followed the performance. The girls then engaged in a lively discussion with the mothers. As a silent observer, I was overwhelmed to witness the conversations that followed. One of the mothers stood up and impersonated the body language of a young boy harassing a girl. It was amazing! It was heartening to see a strong bond developing between so many mothers and daughters in the single room that day.

After the completion of all the programs that were planned, it was finally time for the distribution of certificates. Each girl who received a certificate was cheered by everyone and was given a warm hug. The happiness in their eyes was indescribable. At the end of it all, we were exhausted but at the same time elated at the success of the event. It was a day of fun, frolic, laughter, happiness, awareness and learning. Looking at so many bonds and solidarities being formed anew and strengthened, I couldn’t help but feel optimistic and rejuvenated. Indeed, it was a memorable day!

Risha is a Programme Trainee at FAT who takes care of all the activities at the Tech Center